The 1987 Pass In The Grass...

The Scenario

Charlotte, NC, May 17, 1987

The most indecrible, unbelievable, and single movement in Motor Sports history was the 1987 The Winston All Star Game (later called "The Pass In The Grass") at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In a wham, bam, controversial 10 - lap dash to the finish, Dale Earnhardt spectacularly avoided disaster and withstood the rage of his rivals to record the victory worth $200,000 at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. In so doing, Earnhardt became the third different winner in the three - year history of the event and spoiled what had been the perfect dominance of Bill Elliott, who humbled the field in the first two segments of the special race by leading 121 of the 125 laps therein.

Then came the 10 - lap, $ 200,000 trophy dash, a fender rubbing and bumping sprint. Under the new format of The Winston, these 10 laps must be run under green. Cautions do not count. It's what everyone had been waiting for.

Elliott started with his red and white Coors T - Bird on the pole, ahead of Geoff Bodine and Kyle Petty, whose spots were determined by having led the race. Earnhardt was fourth. Only seconds after taking the green flag, "The Winston" exploded.

Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine (in the #5 Levi Garrett car) collided in the first turn, with Dale Earnhardt in his Wrangler maschine only inches off their rear bumpers. Both Bodine and Elliott spun and Dale drove low to come out of the fray with his first lead of the day.

Furious, Elliott thought Dale had instigated the wreck and sought to retaliate. He bumped Dale on the backstretch, then coming off fourth turn forced Dale down into the grassy infield between the track and pit road. Dale was in trouble...!

In a remarkable display of driving, Earnhardt kept the car on a straight line through a 150-foot plowing job with more than 150 mph!

He had lost control of that car, on grass, of all things, which is the worst thing you can run on, and saved the car by staying in the throttle. Everybody else would have gotten off that throttle, hit the brakes, cut left, and let her slide, maybe hit the wall. But Dale didn't do it.

Dale never got off the gas and still held the lead as he steered back to the asphalt. He also led Bill when he ran in the grass before. Unbelievable.

On the backstretch, Earnhardt forced Elliott up near the wall, bushing Elliott's fender, which resulted in a cut tire two laps later, dropping Elliott out of contention (he came home 14th. ). Dale went on to win the race. Again, unbelievable.

- That's racing, that's Dale Earnhardt.

Yeah, I forgot to tell you the thing from the cool - down lap...!

On the cool-down lap (following the checkered flag), Elliott's displeasure became obvious. He blocked Earnhardt coming out of the first turn and rammed Dale's car in the rear. On the backstretch, he turned toward Earnhardt and forced him to hit the brakes so hard smoke billowed from the tires, and Geoff Bodine thought that was a fine idea and also tried to take a shot. He (Bill Elliott) cut his rival off at the entrance to pit road, and then, at the entrance to the garage area, he once again turned toward Earnhardt and forced him to move to the outside of pit road.

This was done in the presence of Earnhardt's crew, who were pitted just one space away from Elliott's team.

- That's not racing, Bill, that's unsportsmanlike.